The landfill philharmonic, saying ‘goodbye’ in music, the snow-emergency song, West Fargo’s guitar man, and the worst Christmas song ever.

It snowed in Minnesota in December. Please remember to do the things people have been telling you to do in this situation since you were a little kid. And don’t do the things they’ve been telling you not to do. There, the day’s news in one paragraph.

Today’s 5×8 is mostly set to song. Starting, as usual, with the Monday Morning Rouser:

1)LANDFILLHARMONIC

Around the Twin Cities these days, discussion of classical music and orchestras is mostly a discussion about money and profit and loss.

But not everywhere.

This video is racing around the InterTubes, and with good reason.

2) GOODBYE IN MUSIC

Zach Sobiech of Lakeland has a rare form of cancern and has months to live. He’s making music to leave behind. The Pioneer Press’ Mary Divine and photojournalist Ben Garvin did an outstanding job of telling his story in yesterday’s paper.

3) THE SNOW EMERGENCY SONG

While we’re waiting for the season’s first live TV stories from the local impound lot with tales of confused and angry vehicle owners, here’s a little ditty worth learning…

4) GUITAR MAN

In West Fargo, the music kids needed some instruments — guitars, specifically –and there was no money in the budget for them. Enter guitar legend James Burton, who got his start with Ricky Nelson at about the age the instrumentless kids in West Fargo did.

“Music is my thing, and God blessed me with my talent. I’m self-taught,” he said. “It’s my whole life – ever since I was a little kid, I always loved music,” he tells the Fargo Forum.

Burton, who lives in Louisiana, bought the kids in West Fargo the instruments they need.

5) THE WORST OF CHRISTMAS

A new survey has revealed the one song you least want to hear on the radio at Christmas.

The heaviest snowstorm to hit the region in two winters dumped heavy snow across a broad portion of Minnesota. Wisconsin and South Dakota yesterday. Today’s Question: Are you happy about the snowstorm?

WHAT WE’RE DOING

Daily Circuit (9-12 p.m.) – First hour: Leaders of the Minnesota House look at the coming session at the Legislature.

Second hour: A look back at Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring.”

Third hour: Oliver Sacks explores the meaning of hallucinations.

MPR News Presents (12-1 pm): The chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, Dr. Otis Brawley, speaking at the Commonwealth Club of California about his new book “How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick in America.”

Talk of the Nation (1-2 p.m.) – The battle for democracy in Egypt. Many worry that democracy hangs in the balance in Egypt, that a vote to approve a new Constitution would grant the president and the Islamist-dominated parliament too much power. But if it fails, President Morsi would have unchecked power.

All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) - Video game music goes classical, NPR reports. One of Canada’s premier classical violinists has recorded the music of Bach, Mozart and Schubert. Now, she’s taking her repertoire in a different direction — toward Angry Birds and Tetris.

Some Minnesota physicians are using an unusual and somewhat seemingly crude technique to treat a dangerous bacterium that infects the colon. Out of desperation, some doctors have been transplanting donated human feces into patients to restore the healthy bacteria in their guts. MPR’s Lorna Benson will have the story.

MPR’s Tom Scheck will report that a plan passed by the Legislature designed to get some people off MinnesotaCare and into private health insurance plans doesn’t seem to be working. He’ll have a look at the plan, how it was supposed to work and what is actually happening.

About the blogger

Bob Collins has been with Minnesota Public Radio since 1992, emigrating to Minnesota from Massachusetts where he was VP of programming for Berkshire Broadcasting Co. He was an editor at the RKO Radio Network in New York, and WHDH Radio in Boston. He is the founder of the MPR News’ website. He is a private pilot and flies an airplane he built.

Kudos to the city, state and county workers who do such a good job (no snark intended) of clearing our roads. Hat tip also to the private contractors, like the eguys who cleared our lot at work before 6:30 — we open at 8.

Saw no accidents, but a number of folk stuck at intersections. Most hapless was the gloveless fellow stuck outside the main entrance to the State Fairgrounds trying to push his car out alone. There was no safe place for me to park and lend a hand, so I offered him a brief prayer and drove on.

jon

@Question of the day:

Really two winters? Updraft said 22 months, which would put it as the biggest snow storm since the end of two winters ago.

My recollection is two years ago we were all watching that video of the metro dome collapsing today (and for the remainder of this week.)

(I know the question of the day has it’s own comments section, but didn’t seem like this comment was an answer so much as a concern over the phrasing of the question and the implications of media sensationalism.)

Kevin Watterson

I don’t want to hear ANY Christmas song on the radio. 492 versions of “O, Holy Night” are enough.

Robert Moffitt

Making your annual midnight ride to Whoville this year, Kevin? (g) Happy Holidays, you old Grinch!

fasolamatt

I don’t agree with Kevin on much of anything EXCEPT we are 100% in agreement on the Christmas music issue. Common ground!

JSK

I’m happy for the snow because it’s covered up our dead lawn with the big dirt spot. As Bart Simpsons so wisely put it once while trying to hide the results of his mischief: “Snow covers all. Snow covers all. Snow covers all.”

Also, our Toro single-stage has served well but it’s time for a two-stager with more “oomph”. Shoveling out the plow drift is never fun. Less so when it shows up fresh at 8am on Monday morning. I buy machines to do the hard work for me. If I have to help the machine to do the work I expect it to do, it’s going to find itself in a new home.